Mailwatch(ed) Forum

All eyes are on Wednesday's Budget. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has a very tough job on her hands trying to convince working people she is on their side. Most political commentators have repeatedly criticised her in the role, particularly as she was responsible for removing the Winter Fuel Allowance for pensioners and the maintaining of the two-child benefit cap. Now there have been reports that the £2 cap on bus fares outside London will increase to £3, while the National Insurance contributions could rise for employers. Not surprisingly, the opposition parties and commentators will certainly have a field day when the full Budget details will be announced.

You mean the opposition might disagree with the government? Gosh, there's a turn-up.

Fuck the political commentators. I just want the budget out of the way so we can actually see some policies forming from the various departments, ones with some meat on the bones. Besides, hasn't most of the budget been pretty much announced anyway so it'll turn out to be a bit of a damp squib?

The winter fuel allowance hasn’t been removed from pensioners. It has been changed so it is not awarded to those who don’t actually need it. The cap on bus fares was due to end completely in January of this year anyway, so the fact that the cap is instead being retained is a positive.

And Rachel Reeves isn’t setting out to “convince working people she is on their side”. The general election result demonstrated that voters are happy that she is already. What the budget is intended to do is set the basis for the long term re-building of the UK’s economy and social fabric.

Here’s a suggestion for you, Nev - how about you stop regurgitating Daily Express front pages ?

Abernathy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 8:52 am Here’s a suggestion for you, Nev - how about you stop regurgitating Daily Express front pages ?

Or the embittered witterings from fan pages of St. Jez

On first hearing, Rachel's budget sounds absolutely excellent. Covers every base and every manifesto commitment, and properly brings back the full-time, pro-active involvement of the OBR. Very pleased.

Sky News having conniptions...

Looked through the BBC's key points - seems to be mostly hitting share traders and serial investors. Doubtless this will be spun as something or other ("aspiration tax", I guess), but so far nothing that's frightening this horse.

I imagine the righter side of the fourth estate will be leading with headlines about the "£40 billion tax rise" whilst consigning all explanation of it down to paragraph 19.

Laura Trott is already doing it on BBC.


>edit<
But Jo Coburn is reaming her arse.

See comments on the Tory leadership thread. Trott (the irony!) will have a pre-prepared response statement which she will stick to no matter what because she's been told (by people who spend all their time telling her how great they are, and how great she is for employing them) that this is a devastating rebuke and will win everyone round.

Fascinating to see the sudden interest in bus services outside of metropolitan areas, which is so dire in many places it doesn’t matter how little they cost if they’re infrequent and unreliable.

https://conservativehome.com/2024/10/30 ... d-pay-off/

Interesting comments from Conservative Home.

Either the site has been invaded by trots (something their regulars are always claiming).
Or the one nation wing have given up in internal party mechanics, grown a set and started campaigning.

Nigredo wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 12:55 pm

Abernathy wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 8:52 am Here’s a suggestion for you, Nev - how about you stop regurgitating Daily Express front pages ?

Or the embittered witterings from fan pages of St. Jez

I don't read the racist Daily Express. I'm not a fan of Jeremy Corbyn either, although I think he talks some sense on foreign affairs.

Of course you think he does. Bless.

Whatever one's opinion of the announcement, it will still be attacked by the opposition parties and the press. No income tax rises nor a wealth tax on the better off. The extra funds allocated to rebuild our public services is nowhere hear enough. The Winter Fuel Allowance restriction is still in place. It will be more expensive for people to travel to and from work and leisure. To me, most of it still looks like an austerity budget.

The trots are starting to speak their brains.

Blakely, of course, doesn’t go into any detail about what she’d do instead. That might require actual analysis instead of regurgitating cliff notes of Das Kapital as sound bites for her book tour.

I think benefit cuts in the budget are awful, but the idea that it's not doing anything about the holes in the boat are nonsense.

Youngian wrote: ↑Wed Oct 30, 2024 3:25 pm Fascinating to see the sudden interest in bus services outside of metropolitan areas, which is so dire in many places it doesn’t matter how little they cost if they’re infrequent and unreliable.

Yeah, it's quite the thing, isn't it? Doubtless everybody will be scrambling to pay more council tax to fund them.

Credit to Shona Robson of the SNP. Fairly positive reaction to the budget, while saying (fair enough) that it is still a tough settlement for Scotland. It'll be even tougher when, as I expect they will, they substantially roll back the extra Scottish taxes.

Has there been a change of strategy? It was "Tories!" all the way for about 10 years. I think that is wise.